


Guess I'll See You Around

by PassingShadow



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Meetings, Flirting, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Shiro (Voltron) is a Mess, Soft Keith/Shiro (Voltron), shiro has a panic attack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:48:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24002353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PassingShadow/pseuds/PassingShadow
Summary: We pass each other every day while we’re biking on the same path so we’ve started smiling at each other and one day I’ve stopped because I’m having a panic attack so you offer me an extra water bottle and now we’re talking and now I’m breathless for a whole other reason.Aka, the one where Shiro's helplessly in love and tries not to embarrass himself.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 58





	Guess I'll See You Around

**Author's Note:**

> I am back with a super self-indulgent fic because I couldn't help myself. It was vaguely based on a prompt and I hope you enjoy it <3

Shiro struggles to control his speed as he swoops past another jogger. Oops. He waves a half-hearted apology, and he pumps his legs harder, forcing his bike to go faster. He loves the feeling. It’s like he’s chasing the wind; riding so fast he can feel it dance across his skin. He takes a moment to take in the cool air and relish in the burn in his lungs. Sometimes he closes his eyes and let’s go of the handlebars – and it’s like he’s flying.

Shiro first developed his exercise routine after his accident. With the help of his physiotherapist and Matt, he’d quickly found a sense of routine in the early days. Now he doesn’t know what he’d do without it.

He follows the trail past the river and approaches a small patch of trees. He slows his pace and lets the bike slow down to a roll. Shiro tries to control his breathing, reaching up to smooth out his wind-tangled fringe.

And there, just past the corner, Shiro spots the cyclist coming up from the opposite side of the track.

The guy has a smaller build, but it’s all limbs and defined muscle. He focuses his eyes on the road in front of him, with black hair poking out from underneath a purple and grey helmet. He pumps his legs at a steady pace. 

As the guy gets closer, he looks over at Shiro and smiles. Shiro matches it with one of his own and waves.

Once they pass each other, Shiro picks up his pace. The breeze whizzing past as he pushes his way through the rest of the track.

Shiro definitely doesn’t make sure he’s at this part of the track at 6 am every weekday for the last couple of months. Nope. It’s all a coincidence. 

Sundays are the best day of the week. No question. There’s nothing that compares to having a lazy morning lie in and getting a few hours of extra sleep, tangled in warm blankets. No schedules or chores.

Shiro smiles as he stretches out his limbs, enjoying the way his joints crack. He rolls over for his phone and checks the time; eyes squinting.

_8.48 AM._

He stays there, splayed out on his stomach, scrolling through his messages and emails. Wriggling his toes in his blankets. Shiro hums. Might be nice to get the BBQ out and do some steak and ribs. He shoots out a few texts to Matt and Allura, and makes a list of things he’d need to buy. And if he’s heading out, he may as well go for a run.

Shiro yawns and puts his phone down. He stretches out his hand before rolling out of bed. It’s not long before he’s freshened up and out the door. He thinks about heading to the trail, but a change in scenery might be nice so Shiro heads out towards the park.

He sets an easy pace at first, just to warm up. Once he passes the park entrance, he picks up his speed.

It’s not a surprise that it’s busy, seems like the people are out in full force; families are on picnics, sunbathers are chilling out, and groups of kids playing frisbee. Shiro runs past them and heads towards the runner tracks built on the other side of the park.

He immediately notices something in the corner of his eyes. Something flying towards him. Shiro looks over and sees a tennis ball coming his way. He throws an arm out to catch it. His prosthetic doesn’t feel a thing, but his shoulder definitely feels the impact.

That was some shot.

He then notices the enormous dog following suit, running towards him. It stops at his feet, tail wagging in excitement. Its eyes are focused on the ball in Shiro’s hand, and barks twice before shaking its body.

“Hey buddy.” Shiro laughs and waves the ball in front of it.

It’s a gigantic dog, covered in thick grey fur and a stunning dark stripe of fur that almost looks blue in the sunlight. It well-trained; and doesn’t jump at Shiro once, just watching the tennis ball.

Shiro drops it in front of the dog and its tail starts wagging furiously.

“What a good boy,” Shiro coos, “Yes, you are.”

The dog picks up the ball and dances around Shiro, head bumping into his leg before its off running int the other direction, going at full speed.

Shiro watches the dog navigate through the crowds, a bundle of excitement and energy. It heads straight towards the feet of a man dressed in dark jeans and a red shirt.

_Oh._

It’s Mr. Cyclist. The man wrestle the ball away from the dog before sinking down and giving it some belly rubs.

Shiro realises he’s grinning like an idiot. He rubs his face to control himself; the guy is a stranger. And Shiro definitely doesn’t spend the rest of the day thinking of him. Nope. Not at all.

It’s a chilly morning, but that doesn't stop Shiro from his morning ride. There are fewer people out on the track today, kept away from the fog and cold. But the burning in his lungs is enough to offset the icy air.

Shiro follows the river as he heads up the familiar patch of trees. It’s stupid how quickly his heart starts beating, just absolutely ridiculous. 

Sure enough, Mr. Cyclist is on the side of the track, legs planted on the ground and hands holding onto the bike. The man’s breath is turning to frost, and his cheeks are definitely pink. He reaches out with one hand and blows on it for warmth.

_Cute._

Shiro slows himself down. He smiles when Mr. Cyclist spots him, and waves with his prosthetic hand. Having a numb limb has a few perks, and he’s okay being smug about it.

Mr. Cyclist huffs and waves back. Shiro notices the pink fingers peeking through the black fingerless gloves, this guy must really get cold.

Without thinking about it, Shiro reaches into this pocket and pulls out his hot pack. He tosses it at Mr. Cyclist, who catches it on reflex, looking a little surprised.

“Something to keep you warm.” Shiro says. He prepares himself for a getaway as feel his cheeks warm up, and before he can embarrass himself any further.

“Thanks!”

Shiro definitely doesn’t replay that voice over in his mind for the rest of the day, and the week. No way he listens to it in his thoughts repeatedly. Nope. Not at all.

“That’ll be 8 dollars.”

“For a cup of coffee?” Shiro glances at the girl behind the counter.

She shrugs at him with a look that says _what am I supposed to do_. Which is a fair point.

It’s mostly his own fault. He’s supposed to be meeting Matt but ended up running late. And this is what he gets for trying to avoid the Starbucks rush by going to an empty coffee shop just down the street.

Shiro fiddles with the change in his pocket, pulling out the last of his coins. He shuffles to the side as he waits for his over-priced cup of addiction, checking some emails on his phone.

Once his order is ready, Shiro grabs his cup and heads for the door. With his phone in one hand and his coffee in the other, he swivels round to push the door open with his back.

Just as he touches it, the door swing away from him. Shiro stumbles, barely keeping his coffee upright. He turns around, only to come face to face with Mr. Cyclist.

He’s dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt that looks just a few sizes too big. Mr. Cyclist raises his hand for a wave and gives a Shiro brief smile.

Shiro freezes at the sight. He smiles in panic and tries to wave before remembering he’s holding a boiling cup of coffee.

And of course, that’s when his phone rings because he is _so late_.

He stumbles a bit to avoid spilling the coffee all over himself and leaves before he can embarrass himself any further.

Shiro definitely doesn’t go back to that coffee shop to see if he can bump into Mr. Cyclist again. That would be weird.

It’s an awful morning.

Shiro’s misses his alarm because he only fell asleep a few hours ago. Spent the night tossing and turning for no reason. His arm aches, and the skin below his shoulder feels raw. He’s not really in the mood to have his prosthetic checked. It would take hours just to get an appointment.

Part of him wants to skip his morning ride, but he knows it’ll make him feel a better.

It's a struggle to get himself out of bed.

He goes at a slower pace than normal, his legs feel numb and his body weighted down. He heads up the small hill and crosses the trees. It’s a foggier morning, and it adds to his gloomy mood. Shiro takes in a few deeps breath to try and centre himself.

He’s only 20 minutes late, but the track seems to be clear from most early morning joggers and cyclists. 

He comes down his road, following the trail. He passes the river and gets up to the ridge. Shiro keeps his eyes trained on the track as he pushes himself to pick up some speed. He kicks harder and feels the cold air wash over his face. His grips tightens as he prepares to turn to turn at the bend.

In a split second, a small light from the other side flashes past him. Another rider sweeps through the bend and continues on the other way.

Shiro jerks.

_Headlights._

His mind panics.

And he doesn’t have enough time. The panic floods his veins. His muscles shudder at the memory.

Shiro has his mouth open when he realises that he can’t breathe. His chest burns and his heart is pounding; his ribs tremble with a god-awful ache. Maybe he’s having a heart attack.

He tries to get off his bike but his legs aren’t listening to him properly and Shiro fumbles to the ground in a heap of limbs.

He closes his eyes and tries to get in some air, but it doesn’t work. His hands dig into his chest, trying to get to the pain. But it doesn’t work.

It just hurts.

His world tilts and feels the blood rush to his head. It takes a moment to realise something is holding his shoulders, arranging his body so his head is between his knees.

“Hey, it’s okay,” said a soft but firm voice, “Deep breaths. You’re definitely breathing. Just breathe in with me; 1, 2, 3, 4… _and_ let it out. That’s it, just breathe in… 1, 2, 3, and 4. _And_ out again.”

Shiro focuses on following the counting, taking in lungfuls of air until the burn in his chest fades. He keeps his eyes close and counts with the voice talking to him.

Awareness creeps back in, and he finally notices the hand rubbing circles on his back. He knows that voice. He blinks and looks up into deep grey eyes.

“You okay?” Mr. Cyclist asks.

Shiro tries to ignore the heat in his cheeks. He’s not capable of saying anything at the moment, so he just nods instead.

The guy shifts himself a little, and Shiro realises that he’s pressed up against the guy, hip to shoulder, and he can still feel the soothing hand at his back.

Shiro knows he should move – but he just can’t.

It takes a minute for his breathing to even out. Shiro’s muscles relax and he uncurls his body. He looks up to see the guy watching him.

“I just…I think – ” Shiro’s voice sounds croaky, “I’ll be fine in a few minutes.”

“Take your time.”

Shiro focuses on the rattling in his lungs, trying to steady his breaths. It gets easier after a few minutes and his body relaxes. His shoulder still aches and he just feels worn out. He should really stop leaning on the guy; but it’s so comfortable.

“Do you want some water?” The guy asks.

Shiro nods, he feels the guy move away from him for a second. Then he’s comes back and is pushing a small bottle into Shiro’s hands.

He takes a few sips and gathers his strength. He pulls away to sit up a little more, missing the warmth on his back.

“Thank you.” Shiro says again. He takes another careful drink of water, letting it cool him down.

He glances over to see the guy is sitting with his legs stretched out in front of him, leaning back on his palms, watching Shiro.

Shiro really hopes his face isn’t doing anything embarrassing right now. He runs a hand down his chest, soothing the tense muscles, “I’m really fine.”

“Yeah, you really are.”

Shiro blinks.

Did he just?

He looks over and sees the guy is watching him with a smile on his face.

“Uh, thanks?” 

“So,” The guy shifts, so he’s sitting crossed legged, “Just to make sure you’re feeling better, do you know what date it is?”

“April 26th.” Shiro answers.

“Current president?”

“Slav, and the next election is in 2 years.”

“Your name?”

“Shiro Takashi.”

“Shiro, huh? Nice.”

Shiro’s heart seizes up. He looks over for a second time, and he knows he’s probably blushing at this point. The guy looks pleased with himself.

Shiro huffs, “You couldn’t ask like a normal person?”

The guy holds his hand out, “Keith.”

Shiro puts down the water bottle and wipes his hand on his leg. He grabs Keith’s hand and shakes it, “Nice to meet you, Keith.”

They sit there for a few more minutes while Shiro settles. Keith seems more than happy to sit next to him in relative silence. They watch a few morning cyclists and runners move past them.

The sun comes up a little more, warming up the air a little more.

“I’m okay, you don’t have to wait around like this.” Shiro starts, “I can – ”

“I’ve got nowhere to be.” Keith brushes it off easily. “Besides, I’ve been wanting to do this for a while.”

“Watch me have a breakdown?”

That catches Keith off guard. His eyes widen in guilt, and he raises his hand in an apology. “No, that’s not – ”

He stops when he sees Shiro’s teasing smile. He rolls his eyes and lightly shoves his shoulder against Shiro.

The skin feels tingly and Shiro needs to get a grip. Now.

“So how long have you been biking here?” Shiro asks.

“About a year. I’ve tried out the trails on the other side of town, but they were all too easy. This is the only place that really gets my heart racing, you know?”

“Yeah, I know the feeling.”

Keith smiles.

Eventually, they make a move. Keith helps him, even though Shiro is completely fine.

He picks up his bike and watches Keith do the same. He tries to ignore the flutter in his stomach as Keith asks for his number, sending a quick text as confirmation.

“You sure you’ll be okay?” Keith asks once more. “Are you heading home?”

“Er,” Shiro says, checking the time on his phone. He would usually head to Coran’s cafe for a green smoothie after his ride, and he is feeling better now. “I might just get something to drink.”

“Really? But the health bar will be packed now.”

“Yeah, but Coran – ” Shiro pauses, realising what Keith’s just said. He never mentioned Coran’s place. “Wait, what?”

Keith also seems to have the same realisation. His cheeks are turning pink, and he lets out a slight groan. Keith reaches up and runs his hand through his hair.

“Shit, this is embarrassing. I can’t believe – ” He throws his head back and gives Shiro a sheepish smile, “I may have seen you there before. And I realised you go there after your ride… so I thought I’d try going there too and maybe bump into you.”

The words settle in Shiro’s brain and he repeats them again in his mind, just to make sure he heard that right.

Oh God.

Shiro laughs loudly, but his chest seems to have had a long morning and is still a little sore. He ends up coughing a little, and waves off Keith’s concerned face.

What a pair they make.

“Too weird?” Keith asks.

Shiro straightens up and shakes his head ruefully. “Definitely not. In fact, I think I can top that with a few embarrassing stories of my own.”

Keith looks intrigued… and a little hopeful. “Yeah, then I’d love to hear them.”

That’s exactly what Shiro does. He has no problem sharing his own set of embarrassing encounters with Keith when they’re out getting dinner and drinks.

**Author's Note:**

> Aren't they cute!! 
> 
> You can always come say hi over on [tumblr](https://sidelleshadow.tumblr.com/).


End file.
